George t



Patented Apr. u, I899.

G. T. MCDDNDLAND.

PA 6 K I N G (Application filed Jan. 10., 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR ATTRNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. MoDONDLAND', on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PACKING.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,899, dated April 1 1, 1899.

Application filed January 10, 1899. Serial ITO-701,716. (No model.)

ing is designed to protect and inclose the inner fibrous material, as Well as to form a soft packing material to preventleakage at the packed joint, and ordinarily the inclosed cushion is of asbestos. This latter is designed to provide enough elasticity to over-- come the non-resiliency of the soft inclosing metal, and thus obviate'leakage at the joint from repeated expansion and contraction of the parts at the joint. Such packing is commonly employed topack the joints about manholes in boilers, the flange-joints of pipes, pistons, and Various other joints, particularly where leakage of steam is to be avoided.

The object of the present invention is in part to provide a compound packing of soft metal with an interiorly-situated fibrous cushion which will insure a tight joint and at the excessive pressure, and it serves to permit same time insure a resilient cushion to maintain the joint tight after expansion and contraction of the adjacent parts.

It also has for its object to provide the packing ring or gasket with means for securing it in proper position while the parts are being fitted together,so that where there is no flange or rim on the part-as a manhole cover, for example-*to guide and hold the packing ring or gasket in position the latter may be secured by the devices connected to it and which will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe or tube of lead containing a fibrous filling and illustrating the first step in the manufacture of the packing. Fig."2 is a perspective view of the packing after the tube of Fig. 1 has passed through the rolls or dies and is ready for use. Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing the packing compressed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the packing of a form a little different from that illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows a gasket or ring of the packing adapted for a manhole and provided with securing-straps. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a manhole, showing the gasket or packing-ring in Stilt.

Referring primarily to Fig. 1, a is a cylindrical tube of some soft metal, as lead or lead alloy, and b is a filling in said tube of some suitable fibrous material, preferably asbestos. This fiber-filled tube is passed between rolls or other shaping devices and has imparted to it the form seen in Fig. 2that is to say, the tube of metal is somewhat flattened, its crown a being convex or rounded, but flatter than the original tube a, and its opposite face or base corrugated longitudinally so as to form in'its exterior channels or grooves 0. The lateral edges a are rounded, as clearly shown.

When the packing is placed between two members to pack the joint and compressed, as shown in Fig. 3, the centrally-situated corrugation or corrugations in the lower face of the packing are flattened and more or less obliterated. This corrugated structure serves a double purpose. It enables the soft metal to fit itself the more closely to the surface, and thus to produce a hermetic joint without some lateral expansion of the metal jacket under the pressure. This prevents the bursting of the metal envelop, due to the resistance of the inclosed fiber to pack more closely. The corrugations may be formed on both faces of the packing, as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 illustrates the packing put into a ring form and elliptical shape, as usually required for manholes and thelike. This may be effected in the usual way by bending the. packing about a form and joining the abutting ends by soldering or otherwise.

Fig. 6 shows 110w the packing ring or gasket A is applied to close the joint about a manhole. In. some constructions of this character it'is 'difficult to keep the gasket A in place on the manhole-cover B while the latter is being placed and drawn up by the nut C, and in order to obviate this difficulty the gasket is (or may be when necessary) provided The strips 0, Figs. 5 and 6, will be arranged.

in pairs bypreference and one strip of each pair be provided with a loop 0, through which the end of the other or opposite strip of the pair is passed when the strips are in place, Fig. 6, and then bent back on itself; This provides a sufficiently secure fastening to enable the cover B to be placed and secured without disturbing the gasket A. The strips c are secured to the outer lateral edge of the gasket, so that they do not interpose between the gasket and the surfaces at the joint. They may be secured to the gasket by forming a slit in the metal ofthe latter, inserting the tinned end of the strip 0 therein, and then soldering it fast.

The employment of acylindrical lead pipe for the metal casing or jacket of the packing, Fig. 1, and then rolling or pressing this pipe into the proper fi-nal shape, Fig. 2, is not essential to my invention. The packing may be constructed in any manner desired, but the procedure described where a cylindrical tube of the metal is employed as a basis is simple and convenient.

In lieu of making the straps c of flat metal they may of course be of flexible wire, and the straps maybe secured together at the back of the cover B in any convenient manner. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A compound packing comprising a tubular casing of soft metal inclosing a cushion of fibrous material, the said casing having a flattened form and having a flattened face longitudinally corrugated.

2. A compound packing comprising a tubular casing of soft metal inclosing a cushion of fibrous material, the said metal casing having a rounded crown a, a flattened and longitudinallyeorrugated, face, opposite to the crown a, and rounded lateral edges of.

3. A packing ring or gasket composed of a tubular casing of soft metal inclosing a cushion of fibrous material, said gasket having a flattened face with a corrugation extending lengthwise thereof and about the middle thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. A packing ring or gasket consisting of a tubular casing of soft metal inclosing a cushion of fibrous material, said gasket having a flattened and lon gitudinally-corru gated face and straps of thin metal 0 for securing it in place, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 7th day of January, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

GEORGE T. MCDONDLAND.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, PETER A. Boss. 

